"In this context, we should be delighted (…) to see the kingdom of Morocco take the initiative to negotiate a status of autonomy and commit to a final political solution," Védrine said in a letter sent to Morocco's ambassador to France, Fathallah Sijilmassi.
 
    He underlined that the friends of the Maghreb (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania), starting with France, "all fervently wish that this problem be solved," to "finally give a substance to the Maghreb Arab Union, and give a significant impetus to the Maghreb-Europe relations."

    For her part, Muriel Marland-Militello, member of l'Union pour un mouvement populaire (UMP) (the Union for a Popular Mouvement), hailed Morocco's “serious and credible” efforts to bring about an autonomy proposal for the Sahara. 
 
    Marland-Militello, also deputy mayor of the city of Nice, pointed out, in a similar letter, that “the persistence of the status quo (…) is an obstacle to the establishment of an integrated and prosperous Maghreb and threatens the stability of the entire region.”
    
    She warned that this persistence could also obstruct the creation of a harmonious and efficient Union for the Mediterranean project. 

Source: MAP
News and events on Western Sahara issue / Corcas